BET Awards 2012 sees Houston tributes, rampant obscenities

Cissy Houston performs during the in memoriam to her daughter Whitney Houston at the BET Awards on Sunday, July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles. / AP

(AP) With all the star power at the BET Awards — Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and Samuel L. Jackson, to name a few — the most stirring moment came not from a superstar, but from the mother of one.

Whitney Houston's mother Cissy provided the emotional highlight of Sunday's ceremony as she sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in tribute to her late daughter, leaving audience members like Beyonce and Soulja Boy in tears.

Pictures: BET Awards 2012
Read more: Whitney Houston tribute brings tears at BET Awards

Mariah Carey opened the tribute, and her voice wavered as she told stories about Houston. She recalled the last time she saw Houston last year, and how the two laughed and gossiped together.

"I miss my friend," Carey said. "I miss hearing her voice and laughter."

R&B singer Monica was vocally top-notch as she sang "I Love The Lord," a gospel song once sang by Houston; Brandy sang two upbeat Houston hits, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "I'm Your Baby Tonight." Chaka Khan blazed the stage with "I'm Every Woman," which Houston remade. Gary Houston, Whitney's brother, also performed; and Houston's "Waiting to Exhale" cast mates — Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon and Loretta Devine — also honored the singer.

But it was Cissy Houston's soaring performance that brought the audience to their feet, and had many dabbing their eyes. The tribute came five months after Houston's death: She died the night before the Grammy Awards of an accidental drowning complicated by heart disease and cocaine use.

As compelling as that moment was, the show was also defined by its low points: Entire segments of performances, from Nicki Minaj to Rick Ross, were muted out due to foul language and obscenities, though several vulgarities were heard on air.

It started during the opening number by West's G.O.O.D. music group, which included Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz. There were long moments of censored silence when the rappers performed "Mercy," though not all the offending words were bleeped out. Moments later, Jackson, the show's host, was joined by Spike Lee as they did a comedic version of Jay-Z and West's hit song "... In Paris," to laughs.

"Two distinguished Morehouse men," Lee joked after the performance, referencing the alma mater of the two.

The censor police also worked overtime when Rick Ross performed with his Maybach Music Group and during Minaj's performance and acceptance speech for best female hip-hop artist. Minaj's win was her third consecutive time taking the prize.

"I really, really appreciate BET for keeping this category alive, and I appreciate all the female rappers doing their thing, past, present and future," she said, before uttering an obscenity.

Best gospel winner Yolanda Adams, who also performed, gently took some of her peers to task, urging them to act mature and use their fame wisely.

"We need all of y'all," she said onstage. "I'm saying the world needs everyone in this room. Please make sure that you use your gift responsibly, `cause we're watching. Our babies are watching, and they want to be like us."

Kanye West, the most nominated act of the night with seven, and Jay-Z won the ceremony's top prize, earning video of the year for "Otis." They also won best group.

Beyonce was the second most nominated act with six. She won video director of the year (along with Alan Ferguson) and best female R&B artist and thanked the genre and her female influences.

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[mybillz]

What a bunch of classy people. Really with the way some of the people acted at the BET awards they ruined the show for everybody else! This goes a long way towards explaining why so many people are prejudiced! Oh wait, prejudiced means they have no reason for their dislike but those who acted like low life's on the BET awards show gave too many people too much reason.

[Winnie19861]

This article just opens up the opportunity to bash black music and BET. I read this article thinking it would simply highlight the show itself, but all it did was open to the door for racist, ignorant comments. I don't really see the point in starting out by summarizing the event and then towards the end bashing the show by pointing out the many "obscenities that were said". I'm sure NO ONE has ever said a cuss word at the Oscars right?..hmm..I'm disappointed in CBS for this one. I can't wait to see the racist replies I get to this..

[audemus]

Winnie....if you allow yourself to be honest instead of insulted for one moment, you'd realize that the way a lot of these performers behaved was nothing short of vulgar, ignorant and classless....just like much of their so-called "music." How you, or anyone else can support insulting women and glorifying violence and every other anti-social behavior known to man is beyond me....and most reasonable people.

By the way, reasonableness is not the same as prejudice.

[Retta in Las Vegas]

Ok BET, time to to stop all the foul language, we get it , you want to be noticed, BUT negative attention IS not better than no attention.
Your a disgrace to your race when your language is so offensive, that your families cannot veiw this together without being offended.

SHAME ON YOU BET,SHOW SOME CLASS,CLEAN UP THE SHOW!

[audemus]

I once thought all the expressions of anger, violence and obscenity by a lot of black performers were due to circumstances and experiences too tragic to remain silent about any longer....and while some small element of that might still exist, it's been completely overshadowed by the tasteless, classless, senseless and the talentless.

What we are witnessing is the glitzy packaging and custom tailoring of a product no longer about anything but money....the so-called "artists" behind all the noise and drama are nothing more than reflections of the equally classless and tasteless market they cater too. If these performers in question actually had to depend upon their ability to sing or play an instrument or write meaningful lyrics in order to make a living, the majority of them would still be selling dime bags and bodily functions back in the hood. One day, when the market matures enough to realize what real talent is, these scumbags will go the way of every other scam that's ever been, and that's back to the cesspool it sprang from.

If my comments offend anyone, perhaps it would be beneficial to examine why you find the truth offensive.

[hypnotoad72]

The market is defined by the market manipulators, combined with an equally blind audience...

Never mind plenty of actual artists with actual talent can't get work or get rewarded for it, never mind exploitative gangs like the RIAA... check out the Grace Jones album "Hurricane", of which - despite our country and "free speech" and all - had to find a new label that would accept it. And, NO, she did not use use profanity-laced words. She uses something far more dangerous: Intellect. Listen to the song "Corporate Cannibal" for example. If ours was a free market, she wouldn't have had her album rejected because of that controversial song.

The market is anything but what its proponents claim and I could be here all day posting examples that half the readers wouldn't be capable of understanding in the first place...

[gmiller1969]

When are the White Entertainment Television Awards scheduled to be broadcasted. OH MY I forgot...... that sounds like bigotry and racial profiling all wrapped up in one!

[hypnotoad72]

I suppose the one qualifying context would be one of historical dominance, in which case whites should still have their own since everybody prefers to bamboozle, enslave, or kill others just so they can feel better about themselves... ("they" as in antisocial psychopathic aggressors.)

[signseeker1717]

Some people seem to have very short memories. Since both entertainers AND audiences were long segregated, for decades the major awards (such as the Oscars) WERE essentially "white entertainment awards".

And when a minority finally won, it was for playing a "traditional" role (makes sense, since these were the only roles they were offered). For example, the first Oscar awarded to an African American was Hattie McDaniel, for playing the slave maid "Mammy" in Gone with the Wind.

Incidentally, Ms. McDaniel was not allowed to sit with the rest of the cast; she was required to sit at a table BY HERSELF because no other blacks, not even her own family, were allowed to attend the ceremony.

[fastdraw2]

Well it proves a couple of things. They have not changed. They're not going to change. The in-your-face thing is a blatant example of less than average intelligence.

Does it occur to anyone that maybe, just maybe, they're incapable of acting civilized? That they really can't change? That they may be, God forbid, really and truly inferior?

[hypnotoad72]

Who's "they"?

The keebler elves in their tree demanding better wages for their work done?

CEOs who will do anything for money??

Who?

[rider1956]

The performers are only following the money. The money is produced by the desires of he culture. The culture is influenced by the religious leaders of society. This is multi-generational process, so you can not finger the blame on any one individual of the recent past.

[hypnotoad72]

***BINGO***

I repeat:

***BINGO***
***BINGO***
***BINGO***
***BINGO***
***BINGO***
***BINGO***
***BINGO***
***BINGO***
***BINGO***
***BINGO***
***BINGO***


It's capitalism at its finest, or at least at its most straightforward.

Why do people complain?

[credibility2]

People that rely on vulgar foul language lack intelligence and are functionally illiterate because they rely on offensive language to express that which they're incapable of expressing intelligently. The pop culture of today is guttural, vulgar and obscene and is held up to a grandiose standard. Too much permissiveness, accommodation and pandering to the types that fill this genre.

[LadiDaddi]

This the same as rock music of the 70's and 80's which we glorify today. Instead of judging it would better to try and understand what is being said in the music and the reasoning for it. Let's not forget this is all art that we are judging- if you don't get it fine, but their is no way to logically say that a Da Vinci painting is intelligent while a Carravagio is vulgar and obscene because in effect, this is exactly the point you are trying to incorrectly make.

-Cheers

[hypnotoad72]

LadiDaddi -

Context IS a valid point.

Mind you, how often does the B-word, N-word, and promoting violence are anything higher than guttural garbage?

[mari1963]

The music being performed by today's artists is just disgusting all the way around. From their behavior, their lack of talent and their ugly clothes. I am so fortunate and grateful that I was raised during the 60's and 70's when music was music. Music is Streisand, Sinatra, James Taylor, Jim Croce, etc.

I don't even turn on the radio anymore. I listen to my own CD collection.

[hypnotoad72]

Dingleburt_Chezny --

Seconded.

Music tells stories.

Most of it today reeks of pro-codependence, calling women the B-word, or encouraging or indulging vain empty violence. And none of those makes for good storytelling.

[Dontbeslow]

A lack of discretion is like a fine gold ring in a pig's snout.

Some things never change.